You don’t have to ask the trustees of the Taft Public Library what they’d like for Christmas. And you can bet they’re even willing to wait a year to get the present.

Trustees still have their gaze set upon the former St. Michael’s Church on North Avenue, where they would like to move the library by the end of 2012.

“This has been a gleam in our minds for a while. The library trustees are very interested in trying to acquire the building. The one we have now is totally charming, and totally inadequate,” Taft board Chairwoman Susan Darnell said.

Taft Children’s Librarian Andrew Jenrich said he likes the idea of moving to the former church, which offers roughly four times as much space as the existing library.

“A place like St. Michael’s would allow us to shelve and display everything in a reasonable fashion, and give the community the book and materials collection it deserves,” Jenrich said. “The small space in Taft, unfortunately, is limiting the selection we can provide.”

The plan now is for the Board of Trustees to talk with architectural firms to discuss renovating the church to accommodate the library.

After the trustees have a better grasp of the final cost, they will ask selectmen to look at funding the work through a possible debt exclusion override.

Selectman Lawney Tinio said he thinks the move is a “good idea,” however in the end it will depend on the cost.

“I think what it’s going to come down to are the final costs of moving and renovating, and making sure the total cost overall would be in line with what the Mendon taxpayers would want to pay,” Tinio said.

“It really is an opportunity of a lifetime. In the past Mendon has had wonderful opportunities to pick up properties, but we haven’t followed through, and we’ve lived to regret it. I don’t want St. Mike’s to be one of those situations,” Darnell said.

St. Michael’s Church went on the market last year after the parish moved to the new St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in Upton. The vacant building is currently listed at $525,000.

The former church offers other benefits.

The current library only offers two parking spaces for visitors, whereas St. Michael’s has a full parking lot.

Taft library also does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility codes. A move to St. Michael’s would also include a renovation that would ensure the building can accommodate those with disabilities, Darnell said.

With nearly 3 acres and a rectory, the property would offer outdoor space for events and activities during the summer.

“Unfortunately we have pretty limited options (now) when it comes to running indoor and outdoor events on site,” Jenrich said. “We make do with room reservations in other buildings to hold events, but it’s not optimum. Being able to hold events entirely on site, like we would with St. Michael’s, means less scrambling around for available venues.”

Page 2 of 2 - Morgan Rousseau can be reached at 508-634-7546 or at mrousseau@wickedlocal.com.